







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Cate, are you okay? You seem a little bit aggressive. | |
| Toby! This is Cate, she is my... friend, from London. | |
| I think one room is empty upstairs at the moment. | |
| Hello, I'm sorry I'm a bit late. | |
| I will ask him to take Bear out, so we can have breakfast. | |
| Oh, okay, is there a problem with your house? | |
| How much garlic do you want? | |
| Why? It looks pretty clean to me! | |
| I need to use chicken stock for the risotto! | |
| Thank you, dear... For helping me to be a liar! | |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | |
| He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | |
| It's not borrowing, it's stealing! | |
| Let me check... Yes, there are some plates. | |
| Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | |
| I've checked some, there is nothing I like so far. | |
| I guess he wants to drink some water. | |
| How are you? | |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | |